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Bravo Two Zero
Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment // R // December 18, 2001
List Price: $32.99 [Buy now and save at Amazon]
The Movie:
A 1999 BBC production that is only currently getting a US video release, "Bravo Two Zero" is based upon the best selling novel by Andy McNabb about a secret mission in Iraq that went wrong. Sean Bean ("Lord of the Rings") stars as McNab, the head of the unit that has been dropped into the middle of Iraq to take out missile systems during the Gulf War. When the mission goes badly, the soldiers have to evade and escape capture and attempt to run across over 100 miles to the border.
The film has distinct positives and negatives. The main element of the film that I enjoyed was how realistic the details felt, as dialogue and the actions of the characters felt authentic instead of "action-movie"-ish. Yet, the film's obvious low-budget (apparently, it was a made-for-TV picture) is apparent in the film's occasional use of newsreel footage early on and fairly small, but still intense, action sequences.
The performances are generally good, but not terrific. Sean Bean is certainly a strong and intense actor and he often succeeds in carrying this movie on his shoulders. As for the supporting cast, they generally do fine work, but we really don't get to know the supporting cast that well. The lackluster character development and occasional slow pace makes for a film that only is occasionally engaging. It's as if the production seems too small for the story it's trying to show.
The DVD
VIDEO: "Bravo Two Zero" is presented by Miramax in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen. Unfortunately, as with a few of the other recent catalog releases from the studio, the image quality is a bit subpar. The film's low-budget already gives it a rather basic visual look, but there are some additional news/stock footage shots that look considerably grainy and even a bit harsh, with some shimmering.
Otherwise, sharpness and detail are good, but not great. The picture can appear slightly soft at times and lacking in definition, although this is understandable with some of the night sequences, which were likely filmed to appear this way. Some noticable print flaws appeared early on, as some black marks and light specks were visible - thankfully, this seemed to clear up a bit more as the picture went on. A few slight traces of pixelation were spotted, but no edge enhancement or other flaws.
Given the material and the locations, the film's color palette is certainly subdued, but the colors that are presented looked accurate and solid. Flesh tones also came across looking natural. A decent effort from Miramax.
SOUND: "Bravo Two Zero" is presented in Dolby 2.0 only, which is certainly dissapointing. Although the film certainly isn't a big-budget actioner, even some of the low-budget thrillers that are coming to DVD have 5.1 soundtracks and it certainly does add to the experience and open out the sound. The soundtrack for "Bravo Two Zero" fares decently, as sound effects and music don't overshadow dialogue, while all the elements come through clearly (although some may have a bit of trouble understanding some of the British accents).
MENUS: Basic main and sub-menus, simply using images from the film as backgrounds.
EXTRAS: The Region 2 version of the DVD has a documentary, while the only supplements this region one edition has are the film's trailer as well as "Sneak Peek" trailers for other titles from the studio, including "With A Friend Like Harry", "Essex Boys", "Children of the Corn: Revelation" and "City On Fire".
Final Thoughts: "Bravo Two Zero" is a fairly well-done action drama with some decent performances, but it has some slow patches and although the details felt authentic, I would have liked a bit more character development. Buena Vista's DVD is overpriced at $32.99, so I'd probably recommend renting this one first.
A 1999 BBC production that is only currently getting a US video release, "Bravo Two Zero" is based upon the best selling novel by Andy McNabb about a secret mission in Iraq that went wrong. Sean Bean ("Lord of the Rings") stars as McNab, the head of the unit that has been dropped into the middle of Iraq to take out missile systems during the Gulf War. When the mission goes badly, the soldiers have to evade and escape capture and attempt to run across over 100 miles to the border.
The film has distinct positives and negatives. The main element of the film that I enjoyed was how realistic the details felt, as dialogue and the actions of the characters felt authentic instead of "action-movie"-ish. Yet, the film's obvious low-budget (apparently, it was a made-for-TV picture) is apparent in the film's occasional use of newsreel footage early on and fairly small, but still intense, action sequences.
The performances are generally good, but not terrific. Sean Bean is certainly a strong and intense actor and he often succeeds in carrying this movie on his shoulders. As for the supporting cast, they generally do fine work, but we really don't get to know the supporting cast that well. The lackluster character development and occasional slow pace makes for a film that only is occasionally engaging. It's as if the production seems too small for the story it's trying to show.
The DVD
VIDEO: "Bravo Two Zero" is presented by Miramax in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen. Unfortunately, as with a few of the other recent catalog releases from the studio, the image quality is a bit subpar. The film's low-budget already gives it a rather basic visual look, but there are some additional news/stock footage shots that look considerably grainy and even a bit harsh, with some shimmering.
Otherwise, sharpness and detail are good, but not great. The picture can appear slightly soft at times and lacking in definition, although this is understandable with some of the night sequences, which were likely filmed to appear this way. Some noticable print flaws appeared early on, as some black marks and light specks were visible - thankfully, this seemed to clear up a bit more as the picture went on. A few slight traces of pixelation were spotted, but no edge enhancement or other flaws.
Given the material and the locations, the film's color palette is certainly subdued, but the colors that are presented looked accurate and solid. Flesh tones also came across looking natural. A decent effort from Miramax.
SOUND: "Bravo Two Zero" is presented in Dolby 2.0 only, which is certainly dissapointing. Although the film certainly isn't a big-budget actioner, even some of the low-budget thrillers that are coming to DVD have 5.1 soundtracks and it certainly does add to the experience and open out the sound. The soundtrack for "Bravo Two Zero" fares decently, as sound effects and music don't overshadow dialogue, while all the elements come through clearly (although some may have a bit of trouble understanding some of the British accents).
MENUS: Basic main and sub-menus, simply using images from the film as backgrounds.
EXTRAS: The Region 2 version of the DVD has a documentary, while the only supplements this region one edition has are the film's trailer as well as "Sneak Peek" trailers for other titles from the studio, including "With A Friend Like Harry", "Essex Boys", "Children of the Corn: Revelation" and "City On Fire".
Final Thoughts: "Bravo Two Zero" is a fairly well-done action drama with some decent performances, but it has some slow patches and although the details felt authentic, I would have liked a bit more character development. Buena Vista's DVD is overpriced at $32.99, so I'd probably recommend renting this one first.
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